AUBURN, Alabama -- On the eve of Gus Malzahn's second spring practice at Auburn, the Tigers head coach presides over a very different team than the one he molded into an SEC Champion last season.

Auburn has returned to the ranks of college football's elite, with a returning star at quarterback, ESPN repeatedly making trips to campus and the high expectations that come with a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

Malzahn wants his team to ignore all the attention and the hype. Auburn has work to do this spring.

"We can’t control that. All we can control is getting better out there on that practice field," Malzahn said. "We’re not going to pat ourselves on the back from last year. We’re going to have that blue-collar, lunch-pail mentality that we’ve got to improve each practice and each game. We’re going to go about our business."

A year ago, Malzahn entered spring practice focused mostly on establishing a physical, tough mentality to a team still getting over the mental scars of 2012. In the process, Auburn's coaching staff also had to evaluate every player on the roster.

Now, the Tigers' coaches have plenty of information and history with the players.

But the key is to maintain the mentality, no matter what Auburn accomplished last season.

"I feel better about knowing about our team, about who we are physically, mentally and everything that goes with that," Malzahn said. "We've got to figure out a way to get better and we’re going to have the same approach we did last spring. We’re going to be physical and we’re going to flat get after it to keep our edge."

Before any camp, spring or fall, Malzahn sets goals, and the Tigers will enter practices at 8 a.m. on Tuesday with four directives to achieve.

Malzahn wants to focus on the Tigers' base schemes on both offense and defense, maintain that "edge," play faster on both offense and defense and to develop quality depth at each position, a problem in some spots for Auburn as the SEC schedule wore on last year.

Having Marshall back also allows Malzahn to move a little faster, building his offense around a quarterback who already knows the system.

"You can tell his leadership, he’s more comfortable being around his teammates. He’s a leader by example. He doesn’t say much but when he does, people listen," Malzahn said. "I think he’s really looking forward to the spring and just being more comfortable."

And that magical turnaround season?

Malzahn's putting that in the rearview mirror. From here on out, he wants his team full speed ahead.

"We’ve been really up front with our guys. We’re definitely proud of how far they came. That’s in the past. It’s a complete, new season. This is a new team," Malzahn said. "We’ve got to earn it. All we’re talking about is earning the right to try to get back to a game like that."